


Foreign Language

by imgilmoregirl



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Belle is a German, F/M, One Shot, Prompt Fic, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-23
Updated: 2018-01-23
Packaged: 2019-03-08 16:45:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13462359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imgilmoregirl/pseuds/imgilmoregirl
Summary: Robert Gold never had much trouble in his career as a lawyer, but when he was contracted by a Germany company, he felt completely out of place, not knowing a single thing they said, until he was presented to his new interpreter, Belle French. Now after years working together, he is pretty sure learning Germany is worth it, if it means he can say three magical words to her.





	Foreign Language

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon A Time or any of the characters and storylines in the show. This is just a fanwork made for fun. 
> 
> Anonymous prompted on tumblr: Belle is Mr. Gold's interpreter. She has been working for him for years. Her mother tongue is very difficult to learn and pronounce, but she finds that he is secretly studying it in order to say he loves her.  
> Thank you for your lovely prompt anon, whoever you are, I loved working on it. I need to say I was going to choose French as Belle’s mother language, because I’m learning it for a while now and it seems kind of difficult to me, however, I found most English speakers have French as their second language, so it would sound silly. That was when German came to my mind. My dad is the only person at the entire enterprise where he works who speaks it and he is always playing the interpreter when the Germanies come here for some deals, so yeah, I thought it would sound better.  
> But I ask your apologies as I, myself, do not speak German and used google translator (shame on me) to get the small phrases you’ll find in this story. Anyway, I hope you like it.

Robert Gold had no restrictions about working on Germany, although he couldn’t speak a single world in that language. He went there anyway, his plane landing in Munich on a Sunday night, in which everything seemed very easy and right, the thin rain falling from the sky, bringing him the sensation of a fresh start. However, it all was washed out in the next morning, when Robert presented himself at the enterprise and could only smile and nod at his new colleagues, unable to distinguish a thing they were saying as they walked him through the large corridors of the building.

He felt rather lost, not knowing what to do or how to communicate, wondering if someone would be able to understanding him if he screamed “help” in the middle of the hallway. Never before Robert had felt so nervous and he was seriously considering turning his back to those people and rush back to Scotland when he saw her. She came from one of the meeting rooms, holding a black folder in her arms, dressed in an elegant emerald shirk and white blouse, hair pulled up in a ponytail, a large brilliant smile filling her lips.

For a whole moment, he couldn’t say anything. He had never seen such a stunning woman before and, when she walked towards him and started to speak in English with her beautiful German accent, he thought he could hug her. That woman’s name was Isabelle French and she had been working for that company as an interpreter for two years now, but most the people she attended there came to be only temporary.

And he thought that would be his case too. Robert had done attorney services for various companies and enterprises before, but he had never stayed in one place for too long, as of course, all court fights had an ending and then he wasn’t needed anymore. But for his own surprise, this one company had lots of work to be done and, as Belle translated formularies and documents for him, also becoming his personal agent when people gave him a phone call and he was unable to answer for himself, Gold found himself there for three long years.

Most of the time – both his free time and his working time – he was with Belle. She was a very interesting person, with a fine humour and a very good taste for expensive restaurants. They spent hours talking about literature or politics, shared good glasses of wine and came over to the other’s apartment to watch a movie or marathon some show, but their relationship had always been like this: a friendship. And as much as Robert loved spending time with Belle like this, he felt deep in his heart that he needed more, because, almost involuntarily, he fell in love with her.

If there was a thing he enjoyed doing was watching when Belle spoke in German. He thought the language never sounded more beautiful than when spoke by her, it didn't matter if she was angrily arguing with someone on the phone or thanking a barista for their coffee with that sweet, educated tone she used in most occasions. It always sounded so beautiful that it made him want to learn how to speak too, so he could talk to her in her own language. That was when he started to study.

At first he considered joining a course, but he didn't really have the time for it, so he went to a bookshop and bought the largest German-English dictionary he could find, alongside with some exercise books and started to listen to music or watch movies in that language, so he could get used to some words.

"You've been studying," Belle pointed out one night, when she entered his bedroom to pick the phone charger for him and saw his books opened on the desk. "If you continue training like this, soon you won't need me anymore."

There was a slightly sadness in her words and when she joined him on the couch again, she appeared to be a little uncomfortable and maybe anxious, which was weird, because he had never seen Belle anxious before. They finished watching the movie they had started earlier and then she left, going to her own home and leaving him to his wonders.

A small part of Gold, had hopes that their feeling might be mutual and she might love him as much as he loved her, but he didn't dare allowing himself to believe it for long. She was a young woman, more than ten years younger than him and would certainly want nothing to do with a lonely Scottish attorney like him. But even so, he couldn't help himself when he wrote the same phrase on his notebook about thirty times that night: _ich liebe dich_.

He met her at a coffeeshop in the next morning, knowing she wasn't much of a enthusiastic of the weekends and hoping he could in fact pronounce the words right and not make a fool of himself. Robert found her in her usual table, eating a croissant and drinking latte, he slid to the chair in front of her and Belle promptly brought him an expresso alongside with a piece of cake. Taking her, he took a long sip of his coffee, trying to decide the best way of starting a conversation and feeling really weird to be so nervous in her presence when they had been good friend for such a long time.

"I've been thinking," it was Belle who started, "I think I should take a PhD."

He swallowed hard at her words. Robert had been trying to find the right way to tell her how he felt and now she was saying she basically wouldn't have time for him anymore. Maybe the books she saw at his house had influenced the decision, or maybe he was right all along and she didn't really care for him as more than a friend. Or worse, as a working partner.

"Yeah? I mean, yeah, it would be good for you. You're smart, and kind and... Have I said smart?"

"What has come of you?" Belle laughed. "You look about to lose your nerve."

Inhaling deeply, he tried to form a concrete idea of how to start this, because he knew if he let her go now, without saying what he should, then Gold would regret it forever.

"I'm sorry," he breathed and nervously added: "Da ist etwas wichtiges was ich dir sagen muss."

Belle raised one single eyebrow to him, impressed with the fact he hadn't just been studying her language but also training his pronunciation. Of course, he was very far away from a native speaker, but still he was trying and sounded wonderful to her.

"Something important, huh? Then tell me whatever important thing you have to say."

She leaned against the table, pressing her chin against her palm with a defiant look on her shinning blue eyes. He hesitantly reached for her free hand which made a little smile take her lips, and he player with her fingers for a couple of seconds, tracing her dark-blue polished nails. Robert took a deep breath, then fixed his gaze on hers and spoke all at once, before his courage could fade.

"Ich liebe dich."

Giggling she covered his hand with her other, bringing it up so she could press a kiss to his knuckles. Belle had to keep the loud squeal she wanted to reliese inside herself, because after all that time she was wondering when he would finally give up to his feelings and do something, he was now there, telling her he loved her.

"Ich liebe dich dauch," she replied. "Mehr als ich jemals sagen könnte."

Then she reclined herself and pressed her lips against his in the sweetest of the kisses he had ever shared in his life.

That day was spent between love confessions and plans for the future. Belle, as adventurous as she was, wanted to know his hometown, back in Scotland and seemed pretty sure they should not slow down what they had, because after all they spent three years getting to know each other and now what she wanted the most was to be his wife. It caught Robert by surprise, of course, but he promised her that as soon as they were able to arrange things, they would get married.

The night ended with them sat on the floor of his apartment, like many others before, however, this time, the show they were watching was forgotten as all they could to was kiss and love each other.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading, shared your thoughts about it with me, if you want to! I'm so sorry if there is anything wrong with my writing, English is not my first language.
> 
> Translated phrases in German:  
> "Da ist etwas wichtiges was ich dir sagen muss." - "I have something important to tell you."  
> "Ich liebe dich dauch." - "I love you too."  
> "Mehr als ich jemals sagen könnte." - "More than I could ever say."


End file.
